This beautiful fellow has a very sad story to tell, a true story, a love story.

As you may or may not know, Canada geese (and swans) mate for life. Mated pairs not only raise and protect their young together, but also look out for one another over the course of their lives. One mate will stay by the other's side if injured or dying, even if the rest of the flock is moving on. They are extremely devoted to one another. There is little doubt that geese deeply mourn not only the loss of their mates, but also the destruction of their eggs.

This is the lot of my poor friend I see each spring and summer. He comes every year to the place his lovely mate was lost. It's another sad story about humans too, because there is no doubt that the person who ran her down, did so on purpose. When I heard his story it brought tears to my eyes.

It is certainly possible that when one goose dies, the survivor will find a new partner. However, as with people, every goose is different. Whether or not a goose decides to pursue a new mate involves a number of factors, many of which we don't fully understand. Members of a pair that have been together for many years are probably less likely to take a new mate than had the situation involved a younger pair -- but it is still up to the individual bird.

I think their devotion to each other is why I've fallen so in love with them. The fall and winter months seem so long without knowing he is fine, He and another pair of geese that I've grown to love. They should be back in April and then I can breath a sigh of relief. I will go visit them everyday and hopefully this fellow will know someone loves him.